The comparisons between Johnny Cash and Ray Charles are numerous. Both were born in the 1930s, and lived into their seventies. Both made their careers in the field of music, and always kept their ears open to any song they enjoyed. Each lost a brother under tragic circumstances in their childhood. Both overcame substance addiction, and both were unfaithful to their wives. Cash and Charles were are considered leading figures in their musical fields, and both made some decisions when it came to adapting their lives to the big screen. Neither man, though, lived to see the movie stories of their lives. Both films have received acclaim, and Jamie Foxx, who starred in Ray, won an Oscar for portraying Ray Charles.
The Cash biopic, Walk The Line, stars Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, who rose from poverty in Arkansas to the forefront of country music. Most of the story is set from 1952, when J. R. Cash joined the Air Force (he changed his name because the Air Force didn't accept initials), through 1968, when Cash convinced June Carter (Reese Witherspoon) to marry him. Before he married June, Johnny was married to the former Vivian Liberto (Ginnifer Goodwin), and they began a family. He tries to make a living as a salesman in Memphis, but he longs to make a career in music, in which he's sure he can provide for his family.
He takes a chance and gets an audition with Sam Phillips (Dallas Roberts) at Sun Records. Cash and his band play a cover of a gospel tune, which doesn't impress Phillips. Cash then offers to play a song he has written. That gets Cash and his band (Dan John Miller and Larry Bagby) signed to the label. Cash and his band, the Tennessee Two, not only started to have hits, the band toured with other Sun stars, such as Elvis Presley (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Payne). While on tour, Cash often crosses paths with Carter, whom he had admired, even as a boy. The connection between them, though, is instantaneous, even though Cash is still married, and Carter goes through two unsuccessful unions. Johnny feels more at home with June than he does with Vivian, who criticizes Johnny for being on the road so much.
Meanwhile, Vivian knows of her husband's attraction to June, as well as of his amphetamine habit. Johnny fuels the flames of marital discord by hiring June to work for him. At the same time, Johnny begins to behave erratically. During one concert, he collapses because he's too high to perform. At another point, he's arrested because he tries to bring pills from Mexico into the United States. These incidents are enough for Vivian to leave him. June stays by Johnny, but she stays mainly out of concern for his well being. After his divorce, Johnny wants June to be his wife, but she resists his repeated proposals. He struggles for a way to get her to say yes.
My main criticism of Walk The Line lies with its portrayal of Vivian (who died in 2005). Director and co-writer James Mangold falls into a familiar trap of the musical biopic by making Vivian so unsupportive of her husband's career. Vivian, in fact, was very supportive. Because of his drug habit, Johnny Cash was often his own worst enemy. I won't criticize Goodwin's performance, as she did a fine job with her part. Writers Mangold and Gill Dennis had their main conflict within the singer himself. It was not necessary to show Vivian for a demon she was not. She may have wanted Johnny to work for her father in Texas, and may have objected to the extent of his touring, but she was supportive of Johnny's career. Other smaller details weren't completely accurate, but the relationship between Johnny and Vivian Cash could have been handled better.
The portrayals of John and June, on the other hand, could not have been handled better. Phoenix and Witherspoon were, in fact, selected for the leads personally by the Cashes. Phoenix captures the sound and intensity of Johnny Cash in his performance. Phoenix handles the guitar and singing as if he were born to perform. At one concert, he holds up a glass of yellow water, makes a crack about its color, then smashes it to the ground to the delight of the audience. He uses the same sort of intensity and perseverance to try and win the heart of June. Witherspoon gives one of her best performances as June (Witherspoon also sings), who often has good reason to pass on Johnny's advances. She also gets to show some comic skills as she keeps the crowd laughing while Johnny gets his guitar untangled from his jacket. The best supporting performance comes from Robert Patrick as Johnny Cash's father, Ray. Ray Cash has the same sort of intensity his son has, except he uses that intensity to find some excuse to always be unhappy with Johnny. Country singer Shelby Lynne also appears in this movie as Johnny Cash's mother, Carrie.
Walk The Line may draw many comparisons to Ray, but Walk The Line is a very worthwhile experience in its own right. Although one character is not handled as well as the others, Phoenix and Witherspoon honor the memories of the singers whose lives they were chosen to portray. The film shows how Cash turned his musical visions into reality, and fought to overcome some personal demons. It also shows the long road Johnny and June Carter Cash took from fellow performers to husband and wife. Walk The Line falls into one trap of the musical biopic, but misses others to bring to life the story of one of country music's most famous and celebrated couples.
Before Johnny Cash was the Man in Black, he was just another musician struggling to make something of himself. 'Walk the Line' chronicles the extraord...More at HotMovieSale.com
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